Oct. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- The Centre for Regional and International Business (CRIB) at Hull University Business School (HUBS) has been awarded an £11,000 grant by The Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) from the Research and Knowledge Exchange Fund to examine internationalisation amongst Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in Hull.

This prestigious grant, backed by the Economic and Social Research Council and Barclays Bank, will provide funding for the first substantive and qualitative examination of how small and medium firms in Hull are responding to, and operating in, international markets.

The project will be carried out in partnership with “For Entrepreneurs Only” who supported HUBS with their original submission for funding. The research will be led by Dr Steve Johnson, co-director of CRIB and module leader for the final year ‘Entrepreneurship and the Small Firm’ course.

Steve said: “We are constantly being reminded that SME's are the backbone of our economy. The past few years have seen numerous government-funded orgainsations and initiatives specifically aimed at helping SME’s. However, there doesn’t seem to be any localised data as to exactly how much this has contributed to their ongoing success in international markets.

“We certainly don’t really have an idea how small businesses in Hull and the sub-region are performing internationally, and this piece of research will examine ways of increasing their knowledge of the internationalisation processes, particularly in areas where Hull’s small businesses are not already engaged in international trade.”

It is hoped the research will identify ways that internationally successful SME’s can work collaboratively with less experienced SME peers through business networking organisations, the higher education sector and public and private support agencies. It will also examine methods of enhancing both formal and informal social business networks to gain more international knowledge, as well as more easily identifying those businesses that are seeking to enter international markets.

This research will be fully evaluated, with the findings and recommendations being published locally as well as across other areas with similar economic and business structures.

Photo caption: Dr Zaheer Khan, Lecturer in International Business and Dr Steve Johnson, Marketing and Business Strategy, Hull University Business School

ENDS

For more information, or to arrange interviews, please contact Ed Moss, Hull University Business School Press Officer, on +44 (0) 1482 463335, mobile 07872 677866, or email Edward.moss@hull.ac.uk

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